Couched Cover plus Bernina Special Offer

Join Susan Beck in a fantastic exclusive Bernina Just Sew It! webinar and check out the bonus "Couched Cover" project from the Aug/Sept '11 Sew News!

EVENT: Just SEW It - Simple Fabric Embellishment

WHEN: Friday, August 12 @ 10am or 6pm Central Time (whichever works best for you!)

COST: FREE

Join us for a few easy embellishment techniques: needle felting, decorative stitching, and bobbin play - all on one cool project! Also includes couching techniques as featured in the August/September issue of Sew News! You'll never look at plain fabric in the same way again!

Special Thank-You Offer:Get a Full Year of both Sew News magazine and Creative Machine Embroidery magazine for One Low Rate! Plus, get 2 FREE GIFTS instantly. Visit www.SewNews.com/BerninaSpecial today!

Couched Cover

by Susan Beck

Embellish a journal cover with couched fibers to stitch a custom creation.

Open the journal and place it on a flat work surface with the pages facing down. Measure the width, and then add 7" to the measurement; record. Measure the height, and then add 2" to the measurement; record. Measure the spine width, and then add 4" to the measurement; record. Measure the spine height, and then add 2" to the measurement; record.

From the felt, cut two rectangles according to the recorded with and height measurements. From the 1/4"-wide ribbon, cut two pieces according to the journal height.

From the interfacing, cut a rectangle according to the recorded width and height measurements. Designate one felt rectangle as the outer cover. Fuse the interfacing to the outer cover, following the manufacturer's instructions.

From the fabric, cut a rectangle according to the spine width and height measurements. Fold the fabric rectangle in half widthwise; mark the foldline, using a removable fabric marker. This is the spine center. Following the manufacturer's instructions, secure the fusible web to the fabric rectangle; don't remove the paper backing.

Wrap the outer cover around the journal and mark the front edge, spine center and back edge, using a removable fabric marker. Remove the outer cover from the journal.

Place the outer cover on a flat work surface with the right side facing up. Position the fabric rectangle over the outer cover with the right side facing up, matching the spine center marks. Mark the fabric rectangle long edges on the outer cover.

Remove the fabric rectangle from the outer cover. The area between the front-edge mark and the fabric right-edge mark and the area between the back-edge mark and the fabric left-edge mark are the embellishment areas (A).

Embellish

Thread the machine with monofilament thread in the needle and all-purpose thread in the bobbin. Couch the desired fibers on the front and back cover using a straight or zigzag stitch, beginning at the fabric upper or lower edges or slightly beyond the embellishment area markings. Note: The featured journal front cover has curved textured yarn twisted with yarn and metallic threads attached with a zigzag stitch. The back cover has free-motion stitched variegated yarn.

Construct

Place the outer cover on a flat work surface with the right side facing up. Remove the fusible-web paper backing from the fabric rectangle. Position the fabric right side up over the outer cover right side, matching the spine center marks; fuse, following the manufacturer's instructions.

Thread the machine with all-purpose thread. Center one 1/4"-wide ribbon along the fabric right edge; zigzag stitch along the ribbon center. Repeat to attach the remaining ribbon on the fabric left edge (B).

Position the outer cover over the inner cover with wrong sides together, using temporary spray adhesive to secure. Wrap the cover around the journal, making sure the cover extends 1/2" beyond the upper and lower journal edges; trim any excess fabric.

Remove the cover from the journal, and then zigzag stitch the short edges. Center the hair tie 3/4" from the outer-cover left edge mark; zigzag stitch 3/4" using a stitch wide enough to encase the tie. Fold the 1/8"-wide ribbon in half widthwise and place the raw ends on the inner-cover upper spine edge center mark; pin.

Fold along the front-edge mark toward the inner-cover wrong side; pin. Repeat to fold the back edge. Place the cover on the journal and check the fit, making any necessary adjustments. Remove the cover from the journal and edgestitch the upper and lower edges.

Center the button on the front cover 3/4" from the front right-edge mark; stitch. Handstitch beads or other embellishments to the journal cover as desired.

Sew News' primary focus is garment sewing for women, but we also include stories on sewing for men, children and specialty groups like senior citizens, plus sizes, petites and the handicapped. We also cover home décor, soft crafts, machine embroidery, and various fabric embellishment methods, such as stamping, painting, beading and stenciling. Emphasis should always involve sewing, fabrics or notions in some way. Sew News does not normally cover areas like hand weaving, hand needlecrafts, crochet, knitting or macramé.